Award-winning Indianapolis activist Richard Propes is going back out on the road from September 13-21, 2024 for a 150-mile 2024 Tenderness Tour committed to raising $1 million to eliminate an estimated $150 million in medical debt for Indiana families.
*Click on the Tenderness Tour logo to donate to the 2024 Tenderness Tour!
Richard, a paraplegic/double amputee born with spina bifida who beat both bladder and prostate cancer in 2023, will once again travel some of Indiana’s best trails in his most ambitious Tenderness Tour to date in an effort to eliminate medical debt for Hoosiers statewide.
It sounds daunting, doesn’t it? $1 million? WOW.
It’s estimated that for every $1 donated, $100 in medical debt is eliminated.* That means:
- A $1 donation eliminates an estimated $100 in medical debt
- A $10 donation eliminates an estimated $1,000 in medical debt
- A $100 donation eliminates an estimated $10,000 in medical debt
- A $1,000 donation eliminates an estimated $100,000 in medical debt
*Amounts are estimated and may vary depending upon cost of acquiring debt.
Richard is kicking things off with his own $1,000 donation and is challenging others match or surpass his commitment.
1,000 donations of $1,000 will raise $1 million and eliminate an estimated $150 million of medical debt in Indiana.
Richard is asking individuals, churches, businesses, and organizations statewide to join him in this vital campaign. Whether you can afford $1 or $1,000 or more, every single penny improves the lives of Hoosiers.
You can also start your own fundraiser in support of the 2024 Tenderness Tour by clicking on the “Fundraise” button and starting your own fundraiser with your family, church, or business. Every penny you raise will support the 2024 Tenderness Tour!
You can donate now and throughout the Summer and Fall of 2024 to support the 2024 Tenderness Tour.
2024 Tenderness Tour Itinerary
- September 13th: Start at Monument Circle in downtown Indy and wheel the Indianapolis Cultural Trail and Monon Trail
- September 14th: Drive to Kokomo. Wheel the Nickel Plate Trail from Kokomo, IN to Peru, IN
- September 15th: Wheel the Nickel Plate Trail from Peru, IN to Rochester, IN
- September 16th: Drive to Elkhart County, IN. Wheel the Pumpkinvine Trail from Elkhart/Goshen to Middlebury, IN
- September 17th: Wheel from Middlebury, IN to Shipshewana, IN
- September 18th: Drive to Marion, IN. Wheel the Cardinal Greenway from Marion, IN to Gaston, IN
- September 19th: Wheel from Gaston, IN to Muncie, IN
- September 20th: Wheel from Muncie, IN to Richmond, IN
- September 21st: Drive to Indianapolis. Wheel three special routes engaging Indy’s professional athletes. More details soon!
As an extra special twist, the 2024 Tenderness Tour is being filmed for inclusion in an upcoming documentary on The Tenderness Tour. If you’re interested in joining Richard on the road or sponsoring meals or overnight stays, e-mail – tendernesstour@ameritech.net.
ABOUT RICHARD PROPES
Since 1989, award-winning activist/writer/minister Richard Propes has traveled over 6,000 miles in his wheelchair raising awareness and funds on behalf of organizations working to improve the lives of children and families on the remarkable event he calls “The Tenderness Tour.”
Richard’s unique brand of grassroots activism has resulted in over $1 million raised for organizations serving families and children worldwide. Richard is the founder of the Race Away From Domestic Violence, a 5k event in its 21st year in Indianapolis, and has offered and produced a variety of events including a benefit CD, “Give a Girl a Chance,” along with poetry readings, concerts, an IndyFringe show, a comedy DVD, and much more. Richard is the author of “The Hallelujah Life” and is an award-winning film journalist and founder/publisher of TheIndependentCritic.com. Richard’s reviews are carried on Rotten Tomatoes and he’s a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association.
Richard has received numerous honors for his activism including Indiana’s Sagamore of the Wabash, Kentucky’s Order of Kentucky Colonels, and Prevent Child Abuse America’s highest honor the Donna J. Stone Award. Richard is a Jefferson Award winner and was recognized by Indiana Minority Business Magazine as a Champion of Diversity. Indy’s Heartland International Film Festival presents the Richard D. Propes Social Impact Award annually to festival films exemplifying Richard’s lifelong commitment to showing that one person can make a difference in the world.
Richard’s effort to eliminate medical debt in Indiana continues his long-standing commitment to his lifelong home of Indiana. Richard still remembers the sacrifices his parents made raising a child with significant disabilities and costly medical expenses. As an adult, he’s experienced homelessness twice because of medical bills. Having survived cancer in 2023, Richard is more committed than ever to providing medical debt relief for Indiana families.
Richard is available for speaking throughout the Summer and Fall in support of the 2024 Tenderness Tour. You can follow Richard on social media and get involved with the 2024 Tenderness Tour:
Facebook: @richardpropes
Instagram: @tendernesstour
Threads: @tendernesstour
The Tenderness Tour – Home
